Topic: 2004 - not a good year for journalists

The deadliest year for a decade: 53 journalists killed
Reporters Without Borders annual roundup

In 2004: - 53 journalists and 15 media assistants were killed - at least 907 journalists were arrested - 1,146 were attacked or threatened - and at least 622 media outlets were censored

In 2003: - 40 journalists and 2 media assistants were killed - at least 766 journalists were arrested - 1,460 were attacked or threatened - and at least 501 media outlets were censored

On 1 January 2005: - 107 journalists and 70 cyber-dissidents were in prison around the world

The deadliest year for a decade

At least 53 journalists were killed in 2004 while doing their job or for expressing their opinions, the highest annual toll since 1995. Fifteen media assistants (fixers, drivers, translators, technicians, security staff and others) were also killed.

For the second year running, Iraq was the world's most dangerous country for journalists. Nineteen reporters and 12 media assistants were killed there during the year. Terrorist strikes and Iraqi guerrilla attacks were the main cause, but the US army was held responsible for the death of four of them. Ali al-Khatib and Ali Abdel Aziz, of the satellite TV station Al-Arabiya, were shot dead near a US checkpoint on 18 March. Ten days later, the US army admitted responsibility but said it was an accident. Assad Kadhim and Hussein Saleh, who worked for the TV station Al-Iraqiya, were killed on 19 April, also by US troops.

Exposing corruption and reporting on organised crime was the next main reason for journalists being killed.

Journalists were murdered in Asia - especially in the Philippines (6) and Bangladesh (4) - just for investigating delicate matters such as corruption, drug-trafficking and gangsterism. The Philippine press ran a collective editorial in early December saying it would "remember 2004 as a year of infamy" and that "with every murder of a journalist, or a judge, an environmentalist, an anti-corruption activist, a human rights worker, democracy dies a little."

The murder in Gambia of journalist Deyda Hydara in December was a reminder that in Africa, too, journalists are killed.

can you actually justify that position. it's one thing to go into a warzone with a rifle...completely another to go in with just a camera.
without these EXTREMELY dedicated people there are many things we wouldn't know...the Darfour situation for example.

the media is also a crucial check, in my opinion, to stop forces over stepping their bounds

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January 8th, 2005

USAFAUX2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewie_nz

Quote:

Originally Posted by USAFAUX2004

thats what they get for reporting stuff they should not

what??!!

can you actually justify that position. it's one thing to go into a warzone with a rifle...completely another to go in with just a camera.
without these EXTREMELY dedicated people there are many things we wouldn't know...the Darfour situation for example.

the media is also a crucial check, in my opinion, to stop forces over stepping their bounds

Most of the arrested reporters were nagging at the police, embassy, politician, whatever and those killed are just crazy

January 8th, 2005

chewie_nz

so you'd rather that reporters didn't try to hassle those people who are smugglers, corupt govt officials and all those other dangerous people.

that you'd rather these people just carry on there activities without risk of discovery.

riiiiiight

jeez the papers will look good full lifestyle columns and human interest stories

January 8th, 2005

USAFAUX2004

no those reporters arrested are those trying to get a name by getting a BIG story, and usually just gen in the way of the police,military, government and such

January 9th, 2005

chewie_nz

Quote:

Originally Posted by USAFAUX2004

no those reporters arrested are those trying to get a name by getting a BIG story, and usually just gen in the way of the police,military, government and such

in the rest of the world it isn't always like that, i find the journalistic ethics in the greater world (ie not the US) to be alot higher. for an example see the movie city of gold.

this is just the way news has developed in the states ...the "scoop" culture with so many media trying to get the same story, alot of these missing/dead reporters will be freelancers...experienced ones at that.

hardly something to say "well they deserved it"

January 9th, 2005

Duty Honor Country

Quote:

Originally Posted by USAFAUX2004

thats what they get for reporting stuff they should not

That is a bit extreme. No reporter deserves to die for covering a dangerous conflict. I should say that most reporters understand the risk they take by reporting in hostile countries. It is no surprise to me when a reporter dies in places like Iraq. About the 4 who died by the hand of the US. Throughout history there have been "friendly fire" deaths so that is gonig to be reflected by reporter deaths on the ground.

Sometimes I do not like the reporting of war. Wars have always been bloody and the everyday civilian cannot understand or really handle war footage. War is always going to be "hell." I appreciate the indepth coverage that is shown on the discovery times channel. I have watched things about the Israeli/palestinian conflict, Afganistan, Iraq, and North Korea that is only available by those reporters taking outrageous risks. My hat goes off to those reporters.

January 9th, 2005

chewie_nz

this si the type of journalist i'm talking about, i descovered his site after the footage of that iraqi fighter being shot for playinf possum in a mosque.

this is the reporter who filmed it

and his take on that particular event is half way down the page...under the tsunami story